In the prior art, various designs and devices are known which dispense rolls of sheet paper material. However, many suffer from the problems of requiring the use of both hands to operate and placing components on dirty surfaces during reloading which can spread disease. One prior art approach is a casing around the rolls of sheet material to hold and dispense the sheet products. A casing type device usually requires the use of many parts and can be difficult to open so as to necessitate the use of both hands. In another typical prior art approach, a removable cap is employed on the end of the spindle to retain rolls of sheet material. Removable cap type devices are oftentimes inconvenient and cumbersome, requiring the use of both hands. The removable cap is easily lost or broken, reducing effectiveness of the device. Furthermore, in both types of prior art devices, parts of the device or the paper roll must be at least temporarily placed on potentially unsanitized surfaces during reloading.
Other examples exist in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,742 to Pena discloses a magazine holder and dispenser for storing and dispensing rolls of toilet paper. Rolls are dispensed by rotating the spindle in an arcuate path about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the roll. The spindle is operated by a vertical crankshaft which is turned to release and dispense a roll in the magazine. The crankshaft also operates an upper roller located in the magazine to prevent a second stored roll from dispensing. The spindle also allows the second roll to drop into a ready position to be dispensed at a later time. This device requires the use of a separate lug, which is attached to the magazine, to secure a roll of sheet material on the spindle. There is no self-securing mechanism on the spindle itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,423 to Bahnsen, discloses a paper dispenser with a casing, a vertical spindle, and a cam mechanism within the spindle. The cam mechanism includes a pair of cam balls that move between a retracted position and an extended position and a lock to secure the cam balls in the extended position. A pair of part-cylindrical arms surrounds the spindle and is hingedly connected to the casing by a toothed collar that inserts over the spindle for attachment to the upper end of the spindle. When the cam balls are in their extended position, the inner walls of the arms for moving them are in a roll-holding position. The lower end of each arm has a flange for holding rolls of tissue paper. This device requires a special key to release the cam balls in order the squeeze the arms together to release a roll of tissue paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,856 to Conlon, Jr. discloses a tape reel drive mechanism that incorporates a cam lever, which is rotatably mounted to the end of a bifurcated shaft of the drive member. A tape reel is locked onto the drive shaft when the cam lever is rotated to force a cam ball, which is supported by a spring, between the two shaft segments, thereby forcing the shaft segments to part and expand two O-rings that surround the shaft segments to forcibly contact the reel hub. This device is not designed for securing rolls of paper sheet material as is the art of this disclosure. Further, this device requires the use of a complicated cam ball and O-ring mechanism to secure a reel on the drive shaft. The mechanism may be prone to jamming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,682 to Dickson discloses a paper holder with a spindle on a bracket. The spindle requires a resilient material frictionally engaging a central cardboard tube of a paper roll. One embodiment discloses a spindle having a slot therethrough extending axially. The resilient material is press-fit into the slot and projects laterally. Dickson requires a cover to enclose the paper roll, or a resilient material to frictionally engage the paper roll in order to secure it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,555 to Olson, et al., discloses a support reel with a “quick-release” flange. The flange is secured to a hub with two identical quick-release locking mechanisms. Each locking mechanism has a pair of interlocking cylindrical members. A first cylindrical member, located on the hub, telescopically receives a second cylindrical member, which is mounted on the flange. Each cylindrical member supports a spring-biased plunger. Each hub-mounted member has a pair of multi-sectioned detent-receiving slots that receive a pair of locking pins that extend out from each flange-mounted member. The flange is secured to the hub when a screwdriver depresses and turns each flange-mounted member so that the locking pins are seated in the receiving slots. This device is not used in securing rolls of sheet material and requires interlocking members with locking pins. Also, the device requires an extra tool, i.e., a screwdriver to function.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,179 to Smith, et al., discloses a yarn spool retainer utilizing a yarn spool spindle having a spool retainer consisting of an outer sleeve with an inner plunger. The plunger is resiliently attached to the sleeve whereby the retainer can be placed in the spool and the plunger depressed and rotated to allow studs, which extend radially from the barrel into the bore, to engage with the spindle blade “J”-slots. This device requires two separate pieces, one of which can be lost, and must be used in a vertical position. The slots are prone to misalignment and jamming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,439 to Bizic discloses a housing for a roll of photographic strip material on a spool. The housing consists of two frontal plates with bearing lugs for the rolls and a jacket that are held together with an axial threaded bolt. Multiple toggle positions of a handle, attached to the threaded bolt function to align the film on the spool. This device requires a housing and a threaded bolt to secure a roll on the spindle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,749 to White discloses a paper roll holder with a removable cap that has pins to secure the roll. White relies on a removable cap, which can be lost, and protruding studs to secure rolls of sheet material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,500 to Chen discloses a paper roll holder with a two-part casing that has an opening in the bottom to dispense sheet material. The paper roll is secured inside the casing by a rotary knob. In order to change a roll, a special key is inserted into the top of the casing, and the rotary knob is turned. The spindle is released, allowing the hinged casing to be opened. This device creates a difficult process of changing rolls of sheet material and relies on a casing with a rotary knob to secure rolls of sheet material.
The prior art fails to disclose or suggest a roll holder with a self-securing retainer that allows for easily mounting or removing rolls of sheet material with a sanitary procedure. Therefore, it is desirable to have a roll holder that secures a paper roll while allowing easy dispensing device that is of and is uncomplicated and allows for single-handed operation. It is also desirable to have a paper holder that is of a unitary construction to avoid multiple parts and lost or unsanitary pieces.